The purposes of this longitudinal project are to: 1. Investigate the relationship between previous or current abuse, prenatal health and postpartum depression: 2. Describe the changes in abuse and depression during the postpartum period, and 3. Test for differences in childbearing outcomes for abused and non-abused women. Stress response theory guides the study. The proposed study builds on completed studies and addresses the Healthy People 2010 (USDHHS, 1997) objectives of improving maternal and infant health and improving mental health. The study also addresses CDC (1997) recommendations regarding state of the science needs for research on abuse, specifically focusing on violence that occurs around the time of childbearing. A comparative, descriptive longitudinal design will be used to collect data from two groups of women according to their abuse (n=88) or non-abuse (n=88) status. Data will be gathered from semi-structured interview, paper and pencil questionnaires, and chart audits from women at six time points (T1-T6): third trimester of pregnancy, delivery, and months two, four, six and eight postpartum. Instruments utilized will be the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depressed Mood Scale, the Predictors of Postpartum Depression Inventory, the Severity of Violence Against Women Scales, and the revised Childbearing Health Questionnaire. Data will be analyzed using SPSSX and Lisrel. This study makes an original contribution to nursing because no other quantitative or longitudinal studies have explored the relationship between the specified concepts, resulting in a knowledge gap regarding the childbearing health of abused women. Further, the state of scientific knowledge in this area does not reveal an understanding of how abuse may change through the childbearing period (CDC, 1997). Until these biopsychosocial relationships are described, interventions specific to abused women during childbearing cannot be developed and effectively tested.